Improvement in portable horse-powers



c. noears.' i Portable Horse Powers..

UNITED STATES PATENT OEErcE.

CYRUS ROBERTS, OF THREE` RIVERS, MICHIGAN..

IMPROVEMENT IN PORTABLE HORSE-POWERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 166, 147, dated July 27, 1875; application led May 31,1875.

To all whom 'it may concern Be it known that I, CYRUs ROBERTS, of Three Rivers, St. Joseph county, State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Portable Horse-Powers,

`of which the following is a specification:

This invention relates to a horse-power that is supported on its own wheels for transportation from place to place.

The first part ot' my improvement consists in making the axles inthe form of cranks, and supporting them in bearings, so that they may be turned to lower the frame upon the wheels for use as a horse-power, or to raise it upon the wheels for moving from placeto place, the wheels supporting the frame in both positions.

The second part of my improvement relates to the universal bearing at the middle of the fore axle. This `has a bearing-block fixed to the fore bolster, and recessed on theunder side to receive the-boss of a box, in which the axle may be turned to raise -or lower the frame, as described, when the king-bolt has been drawn out.

The third part of my improvement relates to the construction and attachment of the falling frames at the ends of the bed-frame. These frames are raised and stand vertically to support the sweeps, &c., when the horse-` power is moved from place to place, and are lowered to allow the sweeps to turn above them when the horse-power is in use. The lower ends ot these `frames are supported in staples at the .sideshof lthe bedframe, and are slotted to receive a pin passing through the staple. A The construction is such that bylifting the frame slightly in its staples when it is vertical, it may be `swun goutward on its pivot- `pins, and turned down into al horizontal position; andby raising it from the horizontal position into the vertical, and then lowering it slightly in the staples, it is sustained in that position, the lower ends ofthe uprights being then rigidly held by the lower parts of the staples and the pins.`

of the pinion-shaft is supported, and' by a .bridge-bar at the lower side ofthe bed-frame,

in which bar the lower end of the shaft is stepped. This bridge-bar is connected to one side of the main frame by a pivot passin g through a side projection ot' the bar, as shown, so that as the bar is moved to compensate for wear in the pinion, the shaft will not be moved nearer to the side ot' the frame, so as to throw shaft out of line with the gearing of the tumbler-shaft. The adjustment is made by means of a screw-rod, one end of which is attached to the main frame, and the other end of which passesthrougll the bridge-bar, and carries two nuts bearing against the sides of the bar, the end being held rigidly in place after adjustment by set-screws passing through slots .in

the bar.

In the drawings, Figure lis an under perspective view of the horse-.power as arranged for use'. Fig. 2 is a detail under perspective, showing one rear wheel with the axle and falling frame arranged for moving from place to l place. Fig. 3 is a section through the bearing of-the fore axle. Fig. et is a plan ot" the adjustable bracket of the pinions or second wheels. l Fig. 5 is a transverse section through the adjusting-eccentric of the above bracket. Fig. 6 is an under perspective view of the eccentric. Fig. 7` is a section through one of the staples bearing the falling frame.

\ The supporting-wheels are shown :at A.' B is the rear axle', made with crank-formed parts B B', `and. having round portions, turnable in bearings D ofthe side .timbers E of the main frame. F F are pins passing vertically through the bearings and the axle, to prevent the axle vturning inthe bearings D. i These pinsadmit frame at one end, and the hooked. or free end i entering an eye in the axle to fuliill a similar otlicetov the pins F. The bed-frame hascrossbars H and I, the latter ofwliich constitutes the bolster of the fore axle. Attached to the l middle of this bolster is a bearing-block, J. L

is a box similar to a journal-box, and" turning in a horizontalplane beneath the block J. This box has upon its upper side a boss, M, concentric with the king-bolt K, and turning in a suitable recess in the bottom of the block J.

The fore axle N has a round portion, N1, at its middle, which has bearing in the box L, and at each side of this round part is a collar, N2, to prevent the endwise movement of the falling frame, of which there is one at each end of the main frame. These falling frames form a rack or racks, upon which the sweeps,'&c., are laid when moving the machine from place to place. The falling frames are supported by staples S, fixed in the outer sides ofthe side timbers of lthe bed-frame. These staples are open at the one side, S', nearly to the bottom, to allow the frames to be turned down upon their pivot-pins T. Said pin passes through the staple, and through a longitudinal slot, Q', in the upright or side bar Q of the frame, the slot allowing saidbar to be raised when vertical, to free its lower end from the lower part of the staple, to admit of swinging outward and downward on its pivot T so as to be beneath the' level of the sweeps U when the horse-power is in use. When the frames Q R are raised they are held up by the combined action of .thepin T ,and the bottom part of the lstaple S. Vis the main wheel, to

f' which the-sweeps are attached by brackets W W. This wheel turns on a vertical arbor, X,

supported by a horizontal bar, Y, framed to the cross-bars Z. The sweep-wheel has an interior cog-gear, a, engaging with cog-pinions A1 b upon the vertical shafts c, the upper end of each shaft having journal-bearing in an `adjustable bracket, d.' This bracket is made opening, h, in the bracket. The eccentric has' ta tubular boss, t', through which passes its pivot-bolt j, that extends through the crossbar Z. The boss z' turns in a recess in the bar Z. It will be seen that by loosening the set-.screws and turning the eccentric a longitudinal movement is given to the brack- At the-lower end of each shaft 0 is a bevel cog-wheel, 7c, engaging with a bevelpinion, l, upon the longitudinal shaft m, to which is coupled the tumbling-shaft, extending to the machine4 to be driven. This shaft ,m has bearings a beneath the cross-bars o of the bed-frame. Consequently, when the bedframe is in its lower position, this shaft is but little above the surface of the ground-a very great advantage in practical use, as then the tumbling-shaft forms no impediment, or only avery slight one, to the horses. When the frame is raised on the wheels by turning up the crank-axles, as shown in Fig. 2, the said shaft is raised clear of any impediment, and the horse-power can bedriven anywhere without the frame or shaft colliding with obstructions. The axles are rotated in their bearings D D or J, so as to raise or lower the frame,

' by levers inserted in the holes p, or by other means. The lower end of each shaft c is stepped in a bridge-bar, q, having at one end a side extension, q, through which passes the pivot-pin r, on which the bar may be turned to adjust the lower end of the shaft c longitudinally. This adjustment is done by a screw-rod, s, having one end attached to the cross-bar o, and the other passing through the end of the bridge-bar, with temper-nuts t y bearing against the sides of the bridge-bar.

'a u are set-screws passing through slots in :the ends of the bridge-bar, to hold it inplace firmly.

`in a vertical plane in bearing L, said bearing turning in a horizontal plane in the fore bolster or cross-bar I, for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination of fore bolsterl, bearing-block J, box L, axle N, and king-bolt K,

when the king-bolt is made to form a pivot for horizontal rotary motion, and at the same time prevents the axle from turning in its bearings in box L.

4. The combination, with the falling frames Q Q R, of the staple S, open at one side, and the slotted pin-bearing Q T, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination of the pinion-shaft -0 and adjustable bracket d with the adjustingeccentric g, locking-bolt j, and set-screws e, substantially as set forth.

6. The bridge-bar q, pivoted at 1", in coln- D bination with set-screws u a and adjustingscrews s, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination of the crank-axle B with the horse-power frame and hooks G, as and for the purpose set forth.

OYRUS ROBERTS.

Witnesses:

WM. E. WHEELER, ELIsHA` LooMis. 

